- Supreme Court stayed coercive steps against Punjab CM’s OSD.
- SC issued notice, refused to stay CBI FIR.
- High Court ordered CBI probe into corruption allegations.
- Punjab government challenged High Court’s CBI probe directive.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed that no coercive steps be taken in a CBI FIR concerning corruption allegations against Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
A bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B Varale issued notice on a petition filed by the Punjab government challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR in the matter. However, the bench declined to stay the FIR and directed the state to cooperate with the investigation, Live Law reported.
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Respondent Alleges Vindictive Action By Punjab Government
Senior Advocate Vikas Singh appeared for the Punjab government. Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing the respondent who had filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the High Court, submitted that his client was facing vindictive action by the state government.
Naidu told the Supreme Court that the respondent’s property had been demolished and sought protection against alleged harassment by the state.
The matter was listed before the bench after Justice Sheel Nagu, who was sitting with Justice Dipankar Datta, recused himself.
What Is The CBI FIR About?
The CBI registered the FIR on October 5, 2026, following a direction from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The case concerns alleged corruption and influence-peddling involving Ghuman and five other named accused.
The allegations include the payment of bribes to influence government transfers and postings, tenders, policy decisions, licensing and land-related matters.
High Court Had Ordered CBI Probe
A bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor had directed the CBI to register a criminal case into the allegations against Ghuman. It also directed the Punjab government and Punjab Police to provide all assistance required for a fair investigation.
The directions came while hearing a PIL filed by advocate Nikhil Saraf, which alleged that the Punjab Police had failed to take appropriate action despite communications from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking a probe into the allegations.
According to submissions before the High Court, the ED had flagged allegations involving Nitin Gohal, who allegedly acted as an intermediary for people seeking favours from the Punjab government.
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Allegations Include Transfers, Arms Licences
The allegations include facilitating government transfers, providing access to confidential government documents, helping secure arms licences and arranging other benefits.
After considering the material placed before it, the High Court directed the CBI to register a criminal case and investigate the allegations.
The Punjab government has challenged that direction before the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the order for a CBI investigation.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
